RKD Group: Thinkers – “From Behind the Scenes to Center Stage: Donna Tschiffely’s Journey”

Episode Date: March 27, 2025
Host: RKD Group team (primarily “B” - Justin, “C” - Ronnie)
Guest: Donna Tschiffely (Executive Director, DMAW; Founder, Conference Inc.; Lead, Bridge Conference)

Episode Overview

This episode shines a well-deserved spotlight on Donna Tschiffely, a veteran organizer in the nonprofit and association management space, known for her pivotal role in launching and growing the Bridge Conference as well as leading the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW). Traditionally the organizer behind the scenes, Donna shares insights on risk-taking, abundance thinking, and building community within the nonprofit sector, all while peppering the conversation with stories from decades of experience—plus her love of baking and, notably, cheesecakes.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Moving from the “Back of the Room” to Center Stage

• Opening Reflections
  • Donna is recognized for her role behind the scenes: “I think of you so often as being at the back of the room…headphones, headset on, helping navigate the production of an event and not being front and center. How do you feel about today in this conversation where you are the front and center?” (05:00, Justin)
  • Donna’s candid response:

    “I'm a nervous wreck. Are you kidding? I'm supposed to be at the tech table, headset on, saying, ‘get ready, cue video, go video.’ This is not my natural habitat.” (03:50, Donna)

2. The Origin and Evolution of the Bridge Conference

• Background & Growth

  • The Bridge Conference came from two organizations uniting to break down silos between fundraising and marketing and serve their evolving community.
  • On early skepticism about its success:

    “I was told, 'Donna, we didn’t think you would last two years. We didn’t think you’d be able to make the Bridge Conference go.' And this was on our fifth year—and now we’re celebrating 20 years.” (07:40, Donna)

  • Growth from 600 to 2,700+ attendees, aiming for 3,000 in 2025.

• Why This Work Matters Now

  • Donna stresses the need for collaboration and innovation, especially amid sector challenges:

    “Now more than ever, the Bridge Conference is needed... Nonprofits more than ever need to be collaborating, coming together, finding out what each other is doing.” (06:30, Donna)

3. The Power of Community & Abundance Mindset

• Abundance vs. Scarcity
  • Justin reflects on abundance as a driver for innovation:

    “So many of the good things that this sector has done bubble up from community… When you have that abundance mindset, you can come up with those things, you can launch those things.” (09:21, Justin)

  • Donna’s parable on fear-based decision-making:

    “...With nonprofits, when exterior things outside Factors happen, they suck in. And it's the absolute opposite of what they should be doing. They should be going out. That branding—even if they're not making the ask—get the word out about the good they do. Because without nonprofits...our country would come to its knees.” (10:04, Donna)

4. Bridge Conference Memories

• Milestones & Community Building
  • Memorable moments: first time Bridge hit 1,000 attendees, famous keynotes (Tony Elischer, Jeff Peters, Bernie Ross, Alan Clayton), and that sense of “reunion” at each annual event.

    “The excitement is so high that that just generates more excitement and more energy and you kind of ride that high for several days... The community of it all.” (13:55, Donna)

  • Unique post-pandemic energy:

    “In 22, like being together in person—oh my gosh, the energy that year, it was just, it was thick.” (15:14, Justin) “It really was thick. People could not wait to get together.” (15:38, Donna)

5. Lessons from Decades in Nonprofit Leadership

• Taking Risks & Embracing Change

  • Greatest lesson from working with top leaders:

    “If I learned anything from all of these people, it's you've got to take risks, you've got to try things...It’s the risk, it's the trial and error that makes us grow.” (18:02, Donna)

  • Importance of not falling into routines that stifle innovation.

• Behind-the-Scenes Challenges

  • Stories of near-disasters and literal hotel fires (Donna has experienced seven), celebrity and politician “no-shows,” and other event production crises.

    “One fire...had just seated 1,100 people for a dinner. Waitstaff was coming out with the salads and the fire alarms go off. The only way I could get everybody's attention was to stand in the middle of a table and say, please stay calm. And this is what you do. Staying calm is very, very, very important. And always focus on—not to blame, but—resolution, resolution first.” (22:49, Donna)

6. The Evolution of DMAW

• Transitioning from For-Profit to Nonprofit Focus

  • Ongoing direction guided by market needs:

    “When I first started with them, they were still kind of straddling that world between the for profit world and the nonprofit world... The market’s never wrong. That’s the way the market was taking us. And so that's the way we went.” (24:11, Donna)

• Evolving Programming & Mission

  • Emphasis on continual adaptation, deeper grounding in educating and supporting nonprofit sector professionals.

7. Donna Outside of Work: Baking, Family, and Hospitality

• Donna’s Love of Baking
  • When asked about downtime:

    “I have a husband and a dog. And the thing that I like to do most...is I love to bake. So when I get an opportunity to bake, I'm in the kitchen baking cakes and pies and whatever I can get my hands on.” (27:22, Donna)

  • Notable anecdotes about homemade cheesecakes and hosting DMAW board retreats at her home, complete with “full chef’s coat”:

    “This year, I came upstairs from the meeting space and Donna was in like the full chef's coat—not just apron...it was the most official looking...wore it well.” (28:19, Justin)

8. Final Reflections: Authenticity & Leading by Example

• Donna’s parting thought:

  “I say that language shapes our reality, which it does, but our actions tell people who we are. And so I always want to be able when I do something that it's meaningful to me and it's my authentic self.” (29:49, Donna)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Abundance vs. Scarcity:

  “When exterior things outside Factors happen...It’s the absolute opposite of what [nonprofits] should be doing. They should be going out…our country would come to its knees [without nonprofits].” (10:04, Donna)

• On Taking Risks:

  “If I learned anything from all of these people, it's you've got to take risks, you've got to try things...it’s the trial and error that makes us grow.” (18:02, Donna)

• On Community:

  “The community and the collaboration that happens in this industry you don't find in the other businesses...” (15:38, Donna)

• On Event Disasters & Resolution:

  “Staying calm is very, very, very important. And always focus on not to blame, but resolution, resolution first.” (22:49, Donna)

• On Authenticity:

  “Language shapes our reality...but our actions tell people who we are.” (29:49, Donna)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:50 – Stepping from behind-the-scenes to center stage
• 04:55 – The founding and first years of the Bridge Conference
• 06:30 – Why Bridge matters more than ever in 2025
• 10:04 – Abundance over scarcity (“hot dog salesman” story)
• 13:55 – Donna’s favorite Bridge conference memories
• 15:14–15:38 – The powerful energy of post-pandemic in-person reunions
• 18:02 – The importance of taking risks in nonprofit leadership
• 19:52 – Backstage chaos: event disasters and keeping calm
• 22:49 – Resolving crises with calm and a focus on solutions
• 24:11 – The evolution of DMAW’s mission and market focus
• 27:22–28:19 – Donna’s love of baking and hospitality
• 29:49 – Parting wisdom on authenticity in leadership

Tone and Style

Throughout the episode, the conversation is warm, generous, humorous, and rooted in the lived experience of nonprofit leadership. Donna’s authenticity and the hosts’ camaraderie foster an engaging, insightful, and inspiring tone, making this a must-listen for anyone in the sector.